1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to retaining walls disposed along the embankment of a body of water for protecting the embankment from erosion due to the movement of the body of water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently there exists many types of retaining walls, commonly referred to as seawalls, which are disposed along an embankment of a body of water to protect the embankment from erosion due to wave action present in the body of water. These prior art seawalls basically comprise a plurality of metal or concrete slabs which are embedded into the bed of the body of water along the embankment and secured by means of a cable which is anchored into the embankment. The landward side of the slab seawall is then usually filled with soil.
A major disadvantage to the prior art slab seawalls is their solid construction which precludes water from passing therethrough. An enormous amount of back pressure gradually builds up on the landward side of the slab seawall. The increase of pressure will either collapse the seawall or, in attempting to escape, the water will bleed under the seawall thereby creating a washout at the base of the seawall. The continued washing at the base will eventually undermine the seawall, causing it to collapse. Washout of the seawall can also occur due to runoff water from the embankment flowing over the seawall and washing out the seaward base of the seawall.
The prior art slab seawalls are also particularly susceptible to being damaged by wave action of the body of water. Specifically, the seawall, being a very rigid and inflexible structure, is struck with the full force of each wave rather than absorbing or cushioning the wave. Severe erosion and damage to the seawall eventually occurs.
In many states, particularly Florida, a large number of homeowners have installed the prior art slab seawalls on their waterfront property. The proliferation of the building of seawalls has destroyed the habitat of many aquatic animals and microorganisms thereby disrupting the balance of nature. As a result, the installation of slab seawalls is now unlawful and therefore prohibited in Florida.
Probably the most successful attempt to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art slab seawalls has been U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,686, issued to Hilfiker which teaches the use of generally rectangular trays of steel wire fabric sheets which are stacked on top of one another to form a retaining wall. The interior of the retaining wall is then filled with rocks or stones. A major problem with this type of seawall is its use of metal fabric sheets which are foreign to the natural surroundings thereby upsetting the balance of nature.
Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the retaining wall art.
An object of this invention is to provide a retaining wall comprising a plurality of pilings which are disposed adjacent to one another along the embankment of a body of water.
Another object of this invention is to provide a retaining wall having a deck extending from the plurality of pilings to the embankment.
Another object of this invention is to provide a retaining wall having a deck which comprises a plurality of horizontal decking members which are spaced apart from one another to allow runoff water from the embankment to enter the interior of the retaining wall.
Another object of this invention is to provide a retaining wall having a plurality of pilings which are substantially cylindrical shaped poles which create natural orifices between each pair of pilings when disposed adjacent to one another.
Another object of this invention is to provide a retaining wall including a porous material disposed adjacent to the landward side of the retaining wall for retaining the fine particles of sand and soil constituting the embankment from being washed out through the natural orifices formed between each pair of pilings.
Another object of this invention is to provide a retaining wall having a porous material disposed adjacent to the landward side of the plurality of pilings which overlaps at least a portion of the bottom of the interior of the retaining wall.
Another object of the invention is to provide a retaining wall including support means which comprises a deadman anchor disposed in the embankment, a horizontal deadman member disposed between the deadman anchor and one of the pilings, and a flexible member interconnecting the deadman anchor with the series of pilings.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.